Negation relation
"That's not the problem!"
Lin Tingyue's voice unconsciously rose a little, attracting the attention of people nearby. She had no choice but to lower her voice, "I hope my work wins because it is good enough, not because of some means."
Chi Zhuo frowned slightly, clearly unable to understand Lin Tingyue's dilemma: "The business world is like a battlefield, and tactics are also part of strength. You won the exhibition, gained reputation and opportunities, and that's the key. As for Qiao Wei, you're not too clear about the power behind her. I was just helping you avoid risks in advance. It has nothing to do with you, and you don't need to worry about it."
"But this isn't a shopping mall! This is my career, my dream!"
Lin Tingyue felt a wave of helplessness. "I want it to be clean, something I achieved through my design and my team's abilities! What's the difference between what you're doing now and Qiao Wei using underhanded tactics? It's just a matter of crushing someone from a higher position!"
"Lin Tingyue!" Chi Zhuo's voice turned cold, clearly displeased. "Are you accusing me of helping you in the wrong way?"
“I’m not accusing you of helping me, I just want you to respect my methods!” Lin Tingyue met his gaze without backing down. “You should at least have told me beforehand, instead of leaving me like a fool, kept in the dark and still laughing like an idiot!”
"Gleeping like an idiot?"
Chi Zhuo seemed to have heard something absurd. He put down his wine glass, his eyes turning completely cold. "I paved the way for you, allowing you to pursue your dreams without distractions, and in your eyes you've become a sinner? Lin Tingyue, when did you become so naive and pretentious?"
"Pretentious?" This word was like a needle, piercing Lin Tingyue's heart.
Tears welled up in her eyes instantly, but she stubbornly tilted her head back, refusing to let them fall.
"Yes, I'm being dramatic. I'm being dramatic by hoping you can understand me, not just protect me, but also respect my way of solving problems, instead of treating me like a doll, manipulating me into whatever you want me to be!"
She took a deep breath and looked at Chi Zhuo's handsome but now incredibly cold face, her heart sinking little by little.
"Chi Zhuo, in your heart, am I, and my career, just a part of your vast business empire, something you can manipulate at will using your rules and methods? Your so-called love is to keep me firmly under your control on what you consider a safe and correct track, not allowing any surprises or allowing me to have my own thoughts, right?"
Chi Zhuo pursed his lips tightly, his jawline taut.
Lin Tingyue's words clearly crossed some of his unquestionable bottom lines.
He was used to being in control, used to solving problems in the most efficient way, including solving her problems.
He never felt there was anything wrong with it.
"I thought we were one."
His voice was low and laced with suppressed anger. "Anything I've done for you has naturally been for your own good. And here you are talking to me about control and manipulation? Lin Tingyue, have you forgotten that without my resources and connections, could your studio have established itself in the industry so quickly? Without my support, could your family business have gotten to where it is today?"
This sentence became the last straw that broke the camel's back.
Lin Tingyue suddenly took a step back, looking at Chi Zhuo as if she didn't recognize him.
In his heart, all her efforts and achievements were ultimately inseparable from his protection.
Their relationship was nothing more than a contract, nothing more.
She suddenly felt so tired. The glamorous surroundings, the approving glances from her in-laws, and the envious looks from the guests all felt like a huge irony.
She looked at Chi Zhuo and said, word by word, "Yes, I forgot. Thank you for reminding me today, Mr. Chi. It also made me realize that our so-called journey together might have been nothing but wishful thinking on my part from the very beginning. How could I have been dreaming of a happy and fulfilling life with you?"
After saying that, she ignored his instantly shocked and panicked expression, took off the ring from her hand, and threw it violently to the ground.
She then immediately turned around, lifted her long skirt, and rushed out of the banquet hall amidst the astonished gazes of all the guests.
"Listen!" Chi Zhuo instinctively wanted to chase after her, but was stopped by Su Jinghe, who came over after hearing the noise.
"What happened? She was fine just now. Why did Tingyue run away?"
Cheng Ji also came upon hearing the news, somewhat surprised.
The storyline that was so perfect just now shouldn't have gone this way, right?
He instinctively wanted to ask Chi Zhuo, but seeing that he was also in great pain, he gave up.
Chi Zhuo watched the resolute blue figure disappear through the doorway, then loosened his tie in frustration, a strange sense of loss of control welling up inside him.
His meticulously planned celebration night turned into an unmanageable conflict in full view of everyone.
Lin Tingyue rushed out of the hotel; without a coat, she was almost frozen to death in the freezing winter weather.
She didn't call the driver, nor did she pay attention to the faint calls coming from behind. She simply lifted the hem of her skirt, running aimlessly along the sidewalk. The sound of her high heels hitting the ground was particularly crisp and hurried in the quiet night.
An uproar erupted in the banquet hall.
Chi Zhuo stood there, feeling as if everyone's gaze was piercing his back like needles.
"Xiao Zhuo, what... what exactly happened?" Su Jinghe asked anxiously, while Cheng Ji looked at him with a solemn expression.
Chi Zhuo ruffled his hair in frustration. The familiar feeling of being in control of everything had completely vanished, replaced by an unprecedented sense of panic.
He bent down to pick up the ring, clutching it tightly in his palm; the sharp edges hurt him.
"It's alright, Mom, Chengji, please help me reassure the guests. Just tell them that Tingyue isn't feeling well and has gone home first."
He tried to remain calm, but the tension in his voice was obvious.
After saying that, he didn't explain further and strode towards the door.
Lin Tingyue ran for a while, but her strength gave out and the high heels made it difficult for her to keep up, so her speed slowed down.
She leaned against a tree by the roadside, breathing slightly, and finally couldn't hold back her tears.
Her carefully guarded self-esteem was shattered by Chi Zhuo at this moment. She realized that there was no real affection in this unrealistic and unequal relationship.
But she still held onto a glimmer of hope. She thought that as long as she was sincere enough, even if the other person wasn't moved, they would at least retain some semblance of decency towards her.
Ironically, it now seems that her idea was completely wrong.
Lin Tingyue laughed at herself, realizing how pathetic she had been today.
"Yueyue!"
Xia Xiaoran caught up with her, carrying a blanket, and was exhausted.
Although Xia Xiaoran didn't know what had happened, she followed Lin Tingyue the moment she saw her run out and hurriedly grabbed a blanket from the front desk.
Xia Xiaoran hurriedly wrapped a thick blanket around Lin Tingyue's shivering body, and frowned with heartache when she touched her cold skin.
"My goodness! You came out like this in sub-zero weather? Are you out of your mind?!"
While wiping away the smudged mascara and tears from Lin Tingyue, she anxiously asked, "What happened? Weren't you just receiving congratulations? How did you end up arguing with Chi Zhuo?"
Lin Tingyue's lips were frozen purple, her teeth were chattering, and she was so emotional that she couldn't speak coherently.
"He...he doesn't understand at all! He thinks it's only natural for him to use money and power to clear obstacles for me! He even said I was being pretentious...that I was naive!"
She grabbed Xia Xiaoran's hand, tears welling up again: "Ranran, he thinks all my achievements are because of him! I've been played by him like a fool!"
Although Xia Xiaoran didn't know all the details, she understood about 70-80% of it after listening.
She put her arm around Lin Tingyue's shoulder and patted her reassuringly, "Okay, okay, don't think about it now. Look how cold you are. My car is nearby. Let's go to my place and warm up first."
She helped the nearly exhausted Lin Tingyue walk with difficulty toward the parking lot.
Chi Zhuo drove anxiously along the roads near the hotel. He called Lin Tingyue countless times, but her phone was always switched off.
He realized she might not have brought her phone, or it might be out of battery, and his regret and worry grew like wildfire.
For the first time, he realized how ridiculous his so-called strategic planning was.
He was used to her always being within his reach, used to her occasional little temper tantrums always being calmed down by his arrangements, and never imagined that she would turn away so resolutely, leaving him and everything he had given her behind.
Finally, on a road not far from the hotel, Chi Zhuo spotted Lin Tingyue.
He immediately drove after them, parked his car on the side of the road, and hurriedly got out to stop them.
Seeing Lin Tingyue's almost broken state, Chi Zhuo felt an unbearable pain in his heart.
“Listen to this.” Chi Zhuo’s voice was a little hoarse.
"Did President Chi chase after me to continue lecturing me on how naive and pretentious I am?"
Lin Tingyue's voice was cold and nasal.
Chi Zhuo was speechless at her words, and felt a sharp pain in his heart.
“I admit that I handled Qiao Wei’s matter in my own way without telling you.”
Chi Zhuo continued, explaining that he had never lowered himself to explain to anyone like this before, “But I just don’t want you to be bothered by those dirty things. Your design and your talent are unique. The victory of that exhibition belongs to you. All I did was remove the unfair factors from outside the venue.”
"But you made the decision for me again!" Lin Tingyue turned to look at him, her eyes red-rimmed. "Chi Zhuo, you'll never understand! What I really want!"
Chi Zhuo was startled by the utter disappointment in her eyes. He took a step forward and tried to take her hand, but Lin Tingyue abruptly shook him off.
"Listen, let's go back first. It's too cold here. We can talk about it when we get home."
He tried to make his voice sound calm, even carrying a hint of pleading that he rarely showed.
"Home?" Lin Tingyue seemed to have heard an extremely unfamiliar word. She shook her head and wrapped herself tightly in the blanket that Xia Xiaoran had brought.
"That place where you control everything? That's not my home, Chi Zhuo. It's just a cage you've carefully built."
Seeing her friend's state, Xia Xiaoran felt both distressed and angry, and couldn't help but interject, "President Chi, Yueyue is very emotional right now, and she's freezing. Can't we let her calm down first? Can't we talk about this another day?"
Chi Zhuo swept a cold gaze over him, carrying his usual oppressive aura: "This is between her and me."
Normally, Xia Xiaoran might have been scared off by that look, but at this moment, out of concern for her friend, she straightened her back: "But she doesn't want to talk to you right now! Didn't you see she can barely stand?"
Chi Zhuo then refocused his gaze on Lin Tingyue's face. Her face was pale, her lips were bloodless, and tiny teardrops clung to her long eyelashes. Her body was still trembling slightly under the thick blanket.
His heart tightened, and his agitation and anger were replaced by a stronger sense of panic.
He was afraid she was really sick, and even more afraid that she would never want to turn back.
“Okay, let’s not talk about it.” Chi Zhuo took a deep breath and made a concession. He took off his suit jacket and wanted to put it on her. “Get in the car first. I’ll take you to Xiao Ran’s place, or back to our home. It’s up to you. At least don’t get cold.”
The jacket, still warm and familiar with his scent, was handed to her, but Lin Tingyue recoiled as if burned, avoiding his touch.
“No need.” Her voice was tired and distant. “Chi Zhuo, we both need to calm down.”
She looked up at him, her eyes no longer filled with the excitement and anger of before, but with an emptiness and resolve that frightened Chi Zhuo.
"I need some time to calm down and think things through. How should we continue this relationship that was built on an unequal foundation from the very beginning? Or rather... is it even necessary to continue?"
"Lin Tingyue!" Chi Zhuo's heart sank completely, and his voice carried a hint of barely perceptible panic. "Just because I helped you solve a problem, you're going to deny everything between us?"
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